I sailed the high seas for almost 5 years during my merchant navy days. Reason? A quest to see the world, coupled with a thrill of daring it and taking life on. Meet new challenges and people. Saw the world? You bet I did. All 5 continents to put it in simple words. Boogied some nights away, while some were spent trying to steady myself, on my bunk bed, with few pillows on each side, due to a rolling ship in a nasty weather. Such nights were usually spent waiting for morning to dawn and put an end to this exercise. While many other nights were spent on the bridge of the ship, during watch duties, staring in the dark sea, trying to locate passing ships etc, while mentally drifting away thousand miles, usually back home or the last port of call. That used to be the height of desperation and helplessness. Therefore to avoid this torture, never climbed a gangway, once I last disembarked. All said and done, I can safely say today that if my stint with the high waters is taken away from my life, a major part of my personality would never be what it is today, as I sailed during my formation years, which not only made a man out of me but taught me LIFE. Things learnt in the formation days hold a certain degree of permanance. I dated death a few times and almost shook hands with it on a couple of occasions. I rolled and pitched the crests and troughs of life alongwith that of the seas. A rare experience which I shall never ever forget.